The Moment Syndrome
by Aerilaya
Summary: Life is not measured by the number of the breaths we make, but by the moments that take our breath away. AoKi, slice of life, chapter 2 added
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A pretty reviewer asked me for AoKise. I predict ten short stories/situations, not necessarily connected. Here you go, _**dunnoifGraluorNalu**_

**The "Moment" Syndrome**

= Here we are, trapped, in the amber of moment=

Tuesday, May 6th , 7:02AM

The door were slammed so viciously that the the windows shook. One could feel tension in the air and even cut it with the knife. However, it wasn't wise to come between the parties involved in the argument. Amber eyes burned in anger as the man dashed down the stairs of the apartment block. The other man, left behind to lock the door, broke the key in the lock without noticing as he tried to catch up with the blond guy, annoyance, as plain as a day, written on his face.

Aomine Daiki and Kise Ryouta had their usual morning fight. It's what went through the heads of the neighbors of their apartment building. One can say it's a routine for them, but it didn't happen recently. Until today. And no matter how curious, they never had privy to what their arguments consisted of. What they did know is that Kise leaves the apartment in a "BOOM" manner, and the other follows hastily, ALWAYS breaking the key. This will be their sixth lock to change.

With angry growl, Kise opens the door to their car and slams it shut, not even looking at the driver's seat. Aomine follows soon after, frown marring his handsome features.

They don't speak. The ever chatty and bright Kise Ryouta has his lips sealed this particular morning. He's not regarding his boyfriend with a single glance.

And Aomine Daiki's growl of anger was covered up by the roar of the car engine.

Reason for the fight- Aomine's parents were coming over. On the weekend when Aomine has free days. Days that Kise and he were supposed to use to visit onsen, relax and have lots of crazy, sex spent nights. And it wasn't Aomine's fault, Kise knows that. What's the blond mad about is that Aomine's indulging every whim of theirs. This is not the first time they will be coming over unannounced and totally intruding on their plans and lives.

Kise loves Aomine. He adores him. He could act as if he doesn't care, with brash and rude answers, but Kise knows better. He knows him the best. And at times like these, it hurts to be in a fight with him. However, Kise needs to make a point. He wants Aomine to finally take a stand and say that one word that is so hard to say to the family. The "NO" word. The "I have things planned already, come other time" sentence.

And this time, he's not going to let go on the subject, to let it slide, to have their own plans changed because of the other people's convenience.

They are out of the underground garage and into the busy, morning streets. No one has said a word. Kise might not be looking directly at Aomine, but he can see from the corner of his eye conflict on the other man's face.

And it makes Kise's gut clench uncomfortably. And he bites his bottom lip to prevent himself from talking. And he tries to keep his gaze locked on the street outside.  
He doesn't want to arrive at work with them still like this but he has no choice. Not until Aomine changes his mind about it.

A harsh curse fills the car and brings up Kise's attention to the road, and he groans as well.

A traffic jam.

"This is just great! What the fuck are those guys doing!? Smelling balls and drinking beer?"

Kise almost visibly cringes at the vocabulary that was used.

After set of consistent honking, Aomine throws hands in the air and turns off the engine. No point in wasting gas. There was something akin to "as if the morning didn't start bad already..." grumbled and Kise had to agree with it.

It was sucky this Tuesday morning. Gray clouds, coffee that tasted like complete shit, the argument and now traffic jam. He doubts they will be late but it's still nerve wrecking.

Several minutes pass in silence. Well, silence between Aomine and Kise. They are surrounded by other cars honking and yelling and cursing. In fifteen minutes they barely moved few meters.

After additional fifteen minutes, Aomine decides to speak up again: "About this morning..."

Kise tenses up and looks at Aomine. If they start fighting again he'll have nowhere to run.

"You're right. We both know you're right." The blond can't help but feel guilt well up in him. Aomine sounds so down all of a sudden, despite the frown he's sporting. "I usually have no problem telling other people off when I have plans. This should have been easy as well."

Kise shakes his head: "I didn't say it is easy. They are family after all. But..." he sighs, "we barely spent time together past few weeks. We planned this way back then. They wouldn't let you intrude on them if they had something planned out."

"Yeah... that's probably the saddest part in this." Aomine cracks his neck and leans head back on the headrest of the seat. "So goddamn pathetic."

Kise reaches out and smooths out few bangs from the other's forehead, now small smile on his lips: "Family always makes us seem pathetic. But you do know you're not, right?"

Aomine turns his head and leans into the touch briefly, before catching the pale hand and kissing tips of the fingers. He entwines them with his own as he adds: "I'll call them tonight. We're going to the onsen this weekend, I promise."

With a grin on his face, Kise leans over to the driver's seat and plants long kiss on Aomine's lips. A kiss that was eagerly returned. And it would last longer if the cars weren't on the move and started honking Aomine's way to move already.

It was a typical morning for Kise and Aomine. They always leave like a typhoon and return as if they fell in love all over again. And it is the routine their neighbors got used to it, day in and day out.


	2. Chapter 2

**The "Moment" Syndrome**

=Let's meet down the aisle=

Aomine doesn't do grocery shopping. He either ropes his roommate into it or orders food. Everything that needs to include effort from his side is brushed off, unless it's life or death situation. So as long as he has the means to get food, and poor Sakurai can never say no to him, he will use them just so he doesn't have to get out of the bed.

Until Sakurai leaves to visit his parents and doesn't do shopping beforehand.

And only then it dawns on Aomine that he has no food at 9PM when his stomach growls. His paycheck was next week so he didn't really have much money on him to buy something expensive. Snacks will do. And that stale cheese and salsa in the fridge. He just needs few cups of ramen and he'll be set. He's not rich, okay?

So at 9PM, dressed in messy hoodie and sweatpants, barefoot and in slippers, Aomine took his first trip to the nearest grocery store in last four months.

Yawning, he wandered around the store, looking for a snack section, ignoring people that were giving him weird looks for the state of his clothes. Together with his hunched over posture and messy hair, Aomine looked like some homeless guy. But he didn't care. Ramen was right in front of him, his savior, so other people didn't matter.

Until he realized that another person grabbed the same ramen package as he did.

The last ramen package.

"Oi bastard, let go of that," Aomine grumbled in low voice, giving the other guy a nasty look. No one messes with his food, not even this piece of sun that's hurting his eyes at 9PM.

"As if," blond hissed, tugging the box towards him. "I took it first and I need it more."

This guy's pitched voice was grating on Aomine's nerves so much that he wanted to punch him. Or was that Aomine's stomach growling?

Aomine's fingers dug deeper into the box, now face to face with the idiotic blond, gritting his teeth: "Listen here, pretty face. If you want to keepyour face pretty, you'll let go of the box."  
The guy sneered: "Barking down the wind won't lead you anywhere, ganguro."  
"Bitchface."  
"Asshole!"  
"Whore!"  
"SLUT!"

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING DOWN THERE!?"

Aomine jumped at the voice- he had to, he was so into the fight with this idiot that he forgot he was actually in grocery store. Grocery store that has only one package of ramen left with security guards.

"Security, we need help here," clerk waved at the man in uniform.

In the blurry of motion and distraction, Aomine ripped the box out of the stranger's hands and did what normal, not overly rich, hungry person would do- run down the aisle.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE! THAT'S MY RAMEN!"  
"SECURITY, GET THEM! THEY ARE STEALING!"

Aomine didn't know that the basketball he played in his youth would come to help him now. He was still as fast as before, so much that he scared shit out of the clerk at cash register. Before the guy could even react, he threw money at him and disappeared from the store.

-0-0-0- Two days later: -0-0-0-

"What do you mean "BANNED FROM THE STORE"!? I need food damn it!"  
"I'm sorry sir, but the commotion you caused last time got our manager to take measures against you."

The clerk slammed the door in Kise's face, leaving him baffled and confused and oh so much hungry!  
Not having the choice, Kise picked up his stuff and left the front of the store. There's no point in hanging around if they are not going to let him in. And it was that idiot's fault! Hot idiot, but still idiot! He'll never forgive him! Sure he needed to eat a bit healthier as a model, but when there's no photo shoot, there's no money so he needs to choose wisely and save up enough to last him until he does have a job.

"Piece of shit, I hate him so MUCH, UGH! I WANT TO PUNCH HIS STUPID FACE!" He angrily kicked random tin can that was on the street, seething.

Two streets down, Kise finally managed to find another grocery store- the one he wasn't banned from. Yet. With a sigh, he entered and hunted down the aisle that contained instant food and his current favorite- ramen.

Only to be greeted by those same wide shoulders, tall frame and dark scowl on handsome face.

Kise stopped right in front of him. And glared. And he caught the other's attention, so he was glared at as well. Maybe this was what all those writers call 'calm before the storm', because Kise could feel electricity rise around them as they stared each other down.

The stranger spoke up first: "…banned from the other store?"  
Kise bit inside of his cheek: "…same goes for you I assume?"

There was a moment of silence.

And then both of them started laughing. The clerk that was restocking the shelf in the next aisle peered around the corner and shook his head.  
Kise wiped his eyes and took deep breath, offering hand for handshake:  
"Kise Ryouta."  
"Aomine Daiki."

-0-0-0- A week later -0-0-0-

"We should stop meeting like this. They'll throw us out again."  
Kise laughed. "Well, if they do, I guess we will have to find another store to be kicked out from."  
"Until we are banned from all stores?"  
"I guess so."

They stepped outside of the store and Kise took out his umbrella. The rain was pretty bad these days.  
"I'll see you later then, Aominecchi!"

And then, Aomine's basketball skills came in handy for the second time in less than two weeks. It was some kind of miracle.  
Only now he scared Kise when he appeared in less than ten seconds in front of him- that's how much Aomine needed to find his resolve.

"So… wanna come over and have some coffee? I only have cheap one, but you can add plenty of milk. You won't be able to tell difference."  
The confusion from Kise's face was gone in matter of seconds and was replaced with smile brighter than the Sun.

"Yeah. I'd love to."


End file.
